H. Stern Jewelry Dances in Jerusalem

The message spread within seconds: Roberto Stern was about to cross Mamilla Avenue any moment now and enter the elegant store overlooking David's Citadel. The staff poised itself, tense and excited. It was as though King David himself was about to arrive. The anticipation ended with a modest, even somewhat shy entry of the man who now rules the H. Stern empire, the individual who is responsible for the revolution that has made H. Stern one of the leading jewelry brands. We sat down next to a side table, along with the general manager of H. Stern in Israel – Israel Kurt – who believes that if he doesn't open a new store every year, he's slipping.

Roberto Stern may have been sipping coffee when he noticed the daily paper. He caught sight of an article about the Brazilian dance troupe, Grupo Corpo. "It said that they perform Brazilian dances in a very unconventional, sensual way," he recalls as we sit in H. Stern's Mamilla Boulevard branch in Jerusalem. "I thought – that's exactly what we do – we make unusual jewelry in sensual, flowing designs. I didn't know anything about dance. I went to the box office. I bought a ticket, sat down, and watched. I was absolutely captivated – the music, the movement, all of it was fantastic. The next day I called the troupe's manager. He listened to my idea – to create jewelry inspired by the dances – and said: 'You are clearly much more creative than I am.’

That was the beginning of our shared journey. Our designers, along with me, began learning about music, ballet, choreography and costumes. At first we didn't know where to begin. In the end, we created a collection of gold jewelry that resembles the dancers' movements in the form of curved surfaces and flowing lines. They danced to the music of Bach, and we designed baroque style jewelry. We used diamonds for the beads of sweat that break out on the dancers' skin. Ultimately, the collection represents the character we share – very Brazilian, very sensuous, constantly in motion and in the limelight."read more...